NUCYNTA(TM) (tapentadol) CII Immediate Release Tablets Now Available for Relief of Moderate to Severe ...( New Centrally Acting Prescription Med...),Health

New Centrally Acting Prescription Medicine Treats Pain in Two Ways

RARITAN, N.J., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients suffering from acute pain and healthcare professionals who treat pain have a new treatment option: NUCYNTA(TM) (tapentadol) CII immediate release tablets. This new medication for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain in patients 18 years of age or older is now available by prescription only in 50-mg, 75-mg and 100-mg tablets, announced PriCara,(R) Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

NUCYNTA(TM) binds to mu-opioid receptors and inhibits norepinephrine re-uptake. Although the exact mechanism of action is not known, these two mechanisms, which affect established pain pathways, are thought to be responsible for pain relief with NUCYNTA.(TM)

More than 25 million Americans experience acute pain each year as a result of injuries or surgery, and acute pain is the most common reason people seek medical attention. Pain is often undertreated, and acute pain in particular may cause serious medical complications, impair recovery from injury or procedures, and may progress to chronic pain if not properly managed.

"In clinical trials, NUCYNTA(TM) provided patients with effective pain relief and was shown to have fewer of the gastrointestinal side effects often reported with prescription pain medications that act on mu-opioid receptors," said Perry Fine, M.D., Professor of Anesthesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and consultant to PriCara.(R) "This new treatment option offers the potential to improve treatment outcomes for acute pain patients."

On November 20, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved NUCYNTA(TM) for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain in patients 18 years of age or older. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has placed NUCYNTA(TM) into Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act.

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